Battery pack

• US 5,517,277 A
• Filed: 12/09/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroshi, Goto, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US08/352,891
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 354/468, 354/484, 320/48
• US Class Current: 396/281
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/26 Power supplies; Circuitry or arrangement to switch on the power source; Circuitry to check the power source voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A battery pack capable of being installed in an electric equipment comprises a first battery, an integrating circuit for integrating at least the amount of discharge from the first battery, and a second battery for supplying power to the integrating circuit, which is arranged separatly from the first battery.

Claims

1. A battery pack capable of being installed in an electric equipment, including the following:

a first battery;

an integrating circuit for integrating at least the amount of discharge from said first battery; and

a second battery for supplying power to said integrating circuit, said second battery being provided separately from said first battery.

2. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said electric equipment is a camera.

3. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said battery pack is attachable to and detachable from said electric equipment.

4. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said first battery is a secondary battery, and said integrating circuit is provided with a function to integrate the amount of charging with respect to said first battery.

5. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said second battery is a primary battery.

6. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said first battery is a secondary battery, and said second battery is a secondary battery, and also, it is charged when said first battery is charged.

7. A battery pack according to claim 1, further including:

display means for displaying the battery capacitance of said first battery by the output of said integrating circuit.

8. A battery pack according to claim 7, wherein said display means displays the result of integration of said first battery in accordance with the output of said integrating circuit.

9. A battery pack according to claim 7, wherein said display means displays the battery capacitance of said second battery.

10. A battery pack according to claim 7, wherein said display means displays at least either one of the battery capacitances of said first and second batteries.

11. A battery pack capable of being installed in an electric equipment, including the following:

a first battery;

an integrating circuit for integrating at least the amount of discharge from said first battery;

a voltage detection circuit for generating a first signal by detecting the voltage of said first battery;

a switching circuit for releasing the connection between said first battery and said integrating circuit when said first signal of said voltage detection circuit becomes lower than a predetermined voltage.

12. A battery pack according to claim 11, wherein said electric equipment is a camera.

13. A battery pack according to claim 11, wherein said battery pack is attachable to and detachable from said electric equipment.

14. A battery pack according to claim 11, wherein said switching circuit is provided between said first battery and said integrating circuit.

15. A battery pack according to claim 11, wherein said first battery is a secondary battery, and said integrating circuit is provided further with a function to integrate the amount of charging with respect to said first battery.

16. A battery pack according to claim 11, further including the following:

display means for displaying the battery capacitance of said first battery in accordance with the output of said integrating circuit.

17. A battery pack according to claim 16, wherein said display means is provided with a function to notify releasing whereby to notify that the connection between said first battery and said integrating circuit is released.